The Midweek Breakdown: 10 Things I Think I Thought This Weekby Cody DodsonLadies and gentlemen, welcome to another fine edition of the column that rises above hate almost 43% of the time. It’s the Midweek Breakdown with me, your ever-so-grateful host, Cody Dodson. It will be January 25th when this column comes out, which can only mean one thing. The Royal Rumble is upon us and thus, the Road to Wrestlemania is about to begin. Now, most people are busy speculating over the standard questions like who is going to win, who will be the surprise entrants, and whether or not the arena will fall dead silent when Heath Slater makes his entrance. I personally won’t try to guess any of these, although I think we all know the answer to one of them. What I will do is give some thoughts on the week’s happenings and the Royal Rumble in the form of the 10 random thoughts format I debuted last time. It got a good response the first time, so let’s do it again!Quick note: I might make this format a bi-weekly thing if people continue to enjoy it. Be sure to let me know what you think. It’s still in the experimentation phase!1) Will the “Rumble Curse” make its return?
Do you know about the “Rumble Curse?” If you’re not familiar with it, it works something like this. Superstitious wrestling fans believe that the #14 spot in the Royal Rumble is cursed. The thought is that shortly after the Rumble, the person who entered in that spot will go on to experience some sort of misfortune in either their personal or professional lives, or both. Sometimes it’s minor and sometimes it’s major. Looking back at the unlucky recipients of this distinction, you see guys like Marty Jannetty and Jeff Hardy, both of whom have well-documented legal problems and drug issues, which impacted their careers quite a bit. You have guys like Rikishi, Kurrgan, DDP, and Joey Mercury, whose careers either fizzled out or they got hit by injury. You have guys who got future endeavored for various reasons like MVP and Chris Masters. Saddest of all, there are people like Eddie Guerrero, Davey Boy Smith, and Umaga who were taken from us all too soon. So is the #14 spot cursed? It’s debatable, and it depends on what you believe. There are people who have braved the cursed entry and went on to have successful careers, such as Goldust. However, for most of the unfortunate entrants, things haven’t gone so well. Will the curse return this year? Will WWE play it safe and put somebody they could care less about in that spot? Will they be bold, stare evil in the face, and put Randy Orton or John Cena in that spot? These questions and more, tonight on Unsolved Mysteries. I miss that show. And Robert Stack’s voice. I wish I was as cool as he was. This is weird, moving on.2) Four matches, eh?
Interesting move by WWE to only advertise four matches for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. With buyrates for their big events not doing so well, it’s surprising to me that they haven’t put more out there in order to sell the show. We’re looking at John Cena vs. Kane, the two title matches, and of course the Rumble itself. The Rumble itself is a huge event, despite having lost some of its prestige over the years. However, the casual fan who actually believes there will only be four matches may not be inclined to spend their hard-earned money on a show that doesn’t have much advertised. Loyal fans who have been around for a while will buy it, of course. So will a lot of the smark base and hardcore fans. It’s just surprising that they’re not pushing at least five matches for the event, especially with the poor numbers that some of 2011’s shows brought in. The Rumble almost seemed like an afterthought on Raw this week, as they chose to hype next week’s Raw more than the Rumble itself. Of course, there is my next thought, which somewhat counters this one…3) The matches they do have for the Rumble have been hyped very well.
I can tell you that I am very excited for every single match on the card this Sunday, and that hasn’t happened in quite some time. Despite some of the odd shenanigans surrounding Kane and Cena, I’m more interested to see what happens with a John Cena storyline than I have been in months. I genuinely want to know if he will embrace the hate or if this is all just some kind of diversion. It also feels like a really fresh matchup. The WWE Championship match has also been hyped very well. It’s rare to see the challenger get the best of the champion pretty much every week leading up to their title match. Combine that with the John Laurinaitis declaration that he will screw CM Punk and you have a pretty compelling story where the champion is the underdog with insurmountable odds to overcome. I’m also loving Daniel Bryan’s slow heel turn and I can’t wait to see how he tries to retain his title in a steel cage against two monsters. If anything, the Rumble itself has the least amount of hype. The match does sell itself to some degree though. Kudos to WWE for doing a great job building up their main events. I guess with only four matches, all of which are big matches, the whole damn show is a main event.4) WHAT DA HAYELL did Zack Ryder do?
I like Zack Ryder and I really respect what he has been able to make happen for himself in the past year. I wouldn’t call myself a broski or anything, but I’m a fan of the guy. That said, I have to wonder about what exactly happened that caused the events of the past two weeks for the broski himself. There are a couple different scenarios out there. The first is that this was all part of the planned storylines and Ryder is a pawn for the John Cena vs. Kane feud. He’ll end up getting some revenge down the line and come out a better superstar for it. Fair enough. Another possibility is that he is being punished for something. It could be the poor ratings for his segments, it could be a drug test failure, and it could be something else entirely. Another idea that was reported this week is that he’s doing a movie and needs the time off. There’s an endless supply of possibilities, really. What we do know is that WWE originally stated that he has a broken back, which has since been downgraded to a herniated disc. Regardless of what it is, WWE wants Ryder off television for a bit for some reason. In time we will see what happens with Ryder and if he ends up higher up the card as a result. I will say one thing, though. If we have an R-Truth situation here and it comes out that he failed a drug test, I will lose a ton of respect for the guy. To work so hard to see results and then squander his opportunity would be utterly stupid. Time will tell.5) I’m happy to see some familiar faces resurfacing on Smackdown.
One thing I really enjoyed about Smackdown last week was seeing Justin Gabriel and Ted Dibiase. These are two guys who I think are very underused and have the potential to at least be solid upper midcarders. It looks like we could see that happen as Gabriel had a nice back and forth match with Cody Rhodes, and it doesn’t look like it’s the last time they will face each other. I’ve always thought that, along with Wade Barrett, Gabriel would be the breakout star from the Nexus. He’s been doing a whole lot of nothing in recent months but hopefully we will see him in a different role moving forward. Ted Dibiase is in the same boat. I see a lot of potential in him, but he seems to be caught in this push-depush cycle. Hopefully this “feud” with Hunico will lead to him getting more television time and a chance to really prove himself (despite how stupid the reasoning for the feud may be).6) Please don’t let Randy Orton win the Royal Rumble.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to see that Randy Orton is making his return on Smackdown. Why, you probably didn’t ask but let’s pretend you did? Because it means he isn’t making a surprise return at the Royal Rumble. If I have my way, then this would significantly diminish the chances of him winning the whole thing in front of his hometown crowd. I like the guy as a worker. He puts on good matches. Unfortunately, his character bores the $#@! out of me. He’s no fun as a face except for when he makes those ridiculous Hacksaw faces or fights a losing battle with the announce table. I know that he’s going to be in the World Heavyweight Championship picture at Wrestlemania, and I’m fine with that. I just would like to see it happen in a different way than via the Royal Rumble. To me, there are many more compelling directions they can go than having Orton win. For the sake of not making predictions, I’ll keep those a secret for now.7) Triple H is returning…cool. Can’t wait to….see…….him…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I am NOT excited to see Triple H return in the COO role at all. I know why it’s happening, or at least I can make assumptions that might turn out to be wrong and then I’ll look like an ass and then some readers would celebrate but whatever. He’s coming back because he eventually needs to start hyping his (assumed) match with Undertaker at Wrestlemania. That’s all fine and well. I loved their match last year and I’ll be excited to see it again. However, the COO version of Triple H sucks. He bored audiences all over the world last year and there’s a chance he’s going to do it again. John Laurinaitis has been golden over the past few weeks. He’s been doing a fine job in the role that everybody despised at first. I’d hate to see Triple H step in and have the whole thing go to $#@!. I’m not blaming Triple H for it necessarily, as it’s mainly a device to get him back on TV. But the authority figure vs. authority figure thing is tired. Rebel wrestler vs. authority figure will always be fun, but two authorities getting mad at each other is a thing of the past. I hope they can just get past the corporate bull$#@!, let Laurinaitis continue doing what he’s doing, and let Hunter start his feud with the Deadman. John Cena MUST lose to Kane, or at least embrace the hate to win.
As I alluded to earlier, this match has been hyped well and I think the whole idea of Cena embracing the hate is very compelling. Here’s the result that won’t be compelling, though. Cena wins cleanly, smiles and waves, kisses some babies and hugs some fat girls (Thanks Batista), and comes out on Raw to make poop jokes. Luckily, I don’t see a strong chance of that happening. I think one of the two scenarios I mentioned above will happen. Cena loses to Kane, or he gets really pissed off and wins. While I’ve predicted before that he will not turn heel, I think this feud has been the catalyst for a character change for Cena. WWE knows he won’t be a face at Wrestlemania in The Rock’s hometown, so they need to have him play some sort of tweener role. He desperately needs the change, and we’ll see it continue to transpire at the Rumble.9) The Miz needs to be in the final four of the Rumble match.
I’ll just come out and say it. The Miz has looked like a freaking joke in the past few months. We all know it’s true. When you consider that he was main eventing Wrestlemania less than a year ago, that shows how far he has fallen. If they want to reestablish him as a major player, something has to change quickly. After R-Truth has gotten the best of him several times, the Rumble could be a turning point for Miz. He’s entering at the not-so-coveted #1 spot. While I see zero chance of him winning the whole thing, a trip from #1 to the final four would be a great way for him to show that he is still a force to be reckoned with. Make it happen!10) I know it’s not possible, but I wish The Rock would surprise us.
Last on my list, I’d like to take a second to talk about The Rock. It was recently announced that the Great One himself would be appearing at several Monday Night Raw events as we inch closer to Wrestlemania. I get the point of advertising him ahead of time. It sells tickets, which makes money. End of story. I just wish that he could make a few surprise appearances as well. There’s just something about not knowing when he will show up again that makes it much more special when he does. When he’s advertised for Raw and he comes out, it’s still awesome to see him. But when that music hits unexpectedly like it did in February of last year, it’s a very special mark out moment. I hope we get to see that again sometime in the future.That wraps it up for me. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Tell me your opinion on this format. What thoughts do you want to share about the Royal Rumble? Of course, you can always email me or follow me on Twitter as well. Thanks for reading and I’ll be back on Friday with Headlines.

Good article, don't agree with his point about The Miz though. I like Miz, but he's simply not a main eventer. When he was teaming with Truth, and they were portrayed as these psycho's who would and could beat up anyone at anytime he didn't play the part convincing enough. Truth looked like a freak during that angle, Miz just looked like an angry teenager. Not to mention he's pretty lackluster in the ring lol.

The final 4 at the Royal Rumble (in order to make it exciting) should be Jericho, Orton, Barrett and John Cena/surprise entrant who is a former champion imo.

They need to make Miz a face. He has the tools to be a good face. He isnt convincing as an "angry" heel. People already at least CARE about the guy, but making him face in the near future would work. Kinda reminds of me of when The Rock was a heel at first. Im not comparing The Miz too The Rock at all tho haha. I actually like the Miz. I think he could improve in the ring, but if the wwe gives SOMETHING TO DO maybe he'd be more interesting. I really want to see a CM PUNK/MIZ feud in the future while Miz is still a heel. Their exchanges in the Promos before TLC were really interesting lol.

On another note, im really liking Cena right now. Here's some good line for ya: If Cena beats Kane CLEAN and is still a baby face, I riot.

You cannot mess with the greatness that is Lupe FiascoPSN ID - WrathofAresSend me a friend requestNow.

Some noteworthy things;
- The Rock only had a handfull of appearances, yet he's still the biggest draw lol.
- Cena and Orton are both in the top 10 of wrestler of the year.
- Giant Bernard is A-Train in New Japan, he's improved masively since his WWE days, good to see him in the #1 tag team. I don't agree with WGTT on #4 though, their entire run in ROH has been a borefest.
- Crimson the most overrated = overpushed, agreed.
- WWE is only the 5th best promotion of the year.
- Cena vs Punk (MITB) and Edwards vs Richards (ROH Best In The World) as best worked matches of the year, I completely agree, both were amazing. Both of those shows were also shows of the year.
- Uhaa Nation as #2 rookie of the year. This guy is great, WWE is gonna sign him some day, check him out on YouTube
- No WrestleMania 27 on worst major show? WTF.
- TNA and WWE as the worst promotions of the year lol.
- Vince McMahon as the 7th best booker.. ouch.

No way should Ziggler win. He's as generic as they come. He's good in the ring, but that's pretty much the only thing he's got going for him. This is just my opinion though, but when guys like Ziggler and Rhodes get pushed to the main event it really shows me how low the standard has fallen.

No way should Ziggler win. He's as generic as they come. He's good in the ring, but that's pretty much the only thing he's got going for him. This is just my opinion though, but when guys like Ziggler and Rhodes get pushed to the main event it really shows me how low the standard has fallen.

in my opinion, we need new blood to be pushed in the WWE and yes i said this before

it will help the WWE in the long run

Why always the same old faces... Undertaker will retire after wrestlemaina at 20-0 and maybe the WWE title. to me that would be a great way to go and the respect when be unmatched

Last edited by claud3; 01-28-2012 at 15:34.

Plato and Aristotle, a detail of The School of Athens, a fresco by Raphael. Aristotle gestures to the earth, representing his belief in knowledge

in my opinion, we need new blood to be pushed in the WWE and yes i said this before

it will help the WWE in the long run

Why always the same old faces... Undertaker will retire after wrestlemaina at 20-0 and maybe the WWE title. to me that would be a great way to go and the respect when be unmatched

I completely agree and I didn't say otherwise. I just think Ziggler isn't the guy. He should be what R-Truth always was, wrestling in the mid-card while having enough credibility to wrestle main event matches like at Elimination Chamber, but also never win those matches like Truth.

I am glad MITB PPV is gone. it belongs at WM. Having one person being able to cash it in on whoever not only adds to excitment, but also gives the creative team more room to think(something we know they are not good at lol).

Y2J to win Rumble, Orton to win at elimination chamber, Punk to retain at RR, Ziggler to win MITB and cash it same night at WM.

TNA comment before this thread goes RR crazy: that bully ray powerbomb off the corner thru the table brought back the memories of most of the wwe women's roster getting that fate 10+ years ago, u'd never see that now

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